The house has been in my life since I was 10 years old. It is a converted boathouse, and when we were kids, we lived in the main house, also on this property, which now belongs to my sister. My brother owns another house here, and the plan is to keep passing these homes to the next generations.

Photo

Credit
Nancie Battaglia for The New York Times

The decks pretty much surround the boathouse on two levels. The house backs onto a hillside, so when you enter, you’re walking directly onto the upper-level deck. It wraps around three sides, and of course since it’s a boathouse, it sits right out over the water. Whether you’re on the decks or inside the house, it feels like you’re floating on the lake.

We use the upper-level deck for outdoor dining and barbecuing, and the eastern side for relaxing, since it’s off the master bedroom and has a hot tub. We’ve just completed a landscape project with stone steps down to the lower deck, and we plan to put an outdoor kitchen down there. Part of the main deck is covered, so it’s fine in inclement weather. It’s lovely to sit out there during a rain.

As you can imagine, this is a place where we love to hold family gatherings. We’ve had weddings, birthday parties, anniversary parties — you name it. The deck makes the world feel tranquil and serene, but close to nature. After all these years, I never get used to the beauty.